


the smallest sparks (can start a fire)

by SyverneSien



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Developing Friendships, Elemental Magic, Gen, Inspired by Game of Thrones, Inspired by The Lord of the Rings, Kings & Queens, Light Angst, Non-Graphic Violence, Orcs, Original Universe, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, people in the tags that havent shown up yet are there cuz theyre main characters, theyll be here soon!! i.e. chapter 4-5
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:14:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28578810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SyverneSien/pseuds/SyverneSien
Summary: The wall of Emen-dul held for thousands of years, keeping back the monsters living outside the seven nations of Sephara. Tubbo watched it fall, on the night before the annual Gathering, and was forced to flee for his life away from his home. His only hope is to warn the rulers of the nations about this threat, against President Schlatt's wishes, at the Gathering, where he's sure they'll decide to come together and fight.After failing to convince the rulers to unionize, Tubbo decides to assemble a group of misfits from all seven nations to travel to each leader and make their case individually. Joined by Jordan, a wanderer from the ice kingdom of Hviros; Sapnap, a former prince of Deomar convicted of a crime he didn't commit; Karl, a disgraced advisor to the beastlord of Osseia; Niki, who stood up to the queen of Azicol and was exiled for it; Scott, who wishes to prove to the people of Inthilien that he's more than just a guide; and Charlie, once a priest of the Great Slime from Slimeria, now a slightly unhinged magical healer, Tubbo embarks on this quest to bring the nations together and defeat the orcs once and for all.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 42
Kudos: 67
Collections: Tales from Sephara





	1. Tubbo Runs A Whole Lot, I Guess

Tubbo broke into a run as he escaped the dark pines, hearing the awful clamour of orcs behind him as they caught sight of him again. He’d managed to evade them in the trees--those great lumbering brutes couldn’t hunt in a forest if their lives depended on it--but now, if he had any hope of escaping, it was across the lava fields of Deomar. His only advantage was that he was small and nimble, but the orcs had-

_ Thwip! _ An arrow streaked past Tubbo’s ear and struck the rock underfoot, where it quickly burned up. Tubbo didn’t dare look back, but he knew more arrows would follow. He slanted sideways across the lava floes, sweating from exertion and the immense heat that poured off of the molten rock. He’d been taught about the lava fields in his classes--as long as he stayed on the most solid of the lava and went quickly, he could pass through unharmed. Though the orcs were determined that he would not.

Tubbo didn’t know how much further he had to run--Deomar’s capital city, Ige, always seemed so much closer to Emen-dul’s on maps. Emen-dul was where Tubbo had been born and raised; before this day, he had never gone beyond the border. In fact, when Tubbo thought about it, he had barely left the capital, Kharan-el, except for a few field trips to the southern border with the unmapped lands. He’d always hated it, though. The great tower of Mazl-ir that housed the president of Emen-dul, President J. Schlatt, stretched high into the clouds, and its shadow covered the city like a great dark cloud. Everything was orderly in Kharan-el, because President Schlatt was always watching, and if you caused trouble for the president… well, Tubbo had never seen a criminal walk out of Mazl-ir.

His ankle caught on a pointed rock and he went sprawling to the ground, gasping for air as his shoulder collided with stone. Tubbo’s palms burned as he pushed himself back up again, adrenaline pumping through his veins and urging him to get going. He had to make it to Ige. He had to warn them--he had to warn  _ everyone _ about the orcs. Because if Schlatt continued to refuse to, they would all be swept away underneath a wave of blood.

_ “What’s that?” Tubbo asked, pointing over the wall at a small wisp of smoke curling up from the horizon. “I didn’t know there were people in the unmapped lands. I thought it was all monsters.” He looked over at Quackity, who was looking as if he’d rather be doing anything but babysitting Tubbo for the president again. _

_ “It’s an orc fire,” Quackity answered, shifting his weight to lean against the parapet. “They’re smarter than you might think. But they know not to mess with us--most of them, that is. A few die against the wall every day, but that’s it.” He sighed and closed his eyes. _

_ Tubbo felt a rush of pride. His kingdom protected the others from the unmapped lands and the monsters that lived there. The other kingdoms owed them everything! Even if he disagreed with how Schlatt ran Emen-dul, the wall had never been breached. “How long did you spend guarding the wall?” he asked Quackity. _

_ Quackity’s face scrunched up. “Five years,” he answered. “I was just a boy when I started. It’s an easy station. Hardly anything happens.” Quackity shrugged. “If you’re done sightseeing, we should head back now. You have schoolwork to do.” He caught Tubbo by the arm and gently tugged him away from the wall. _

_ But Tubbo’s eyes had found another column of smoke in the trees, this one closer, and then a third. “Quackity…” he started, tentative. “Quackity, wait.” He pulled his arm back, more forcefully than he intended, and leaned further over the wall. _

_ And then the guard on Tubbo’s other side, a man whose name he didn’t know, choked as an arrow skewered him through the throat, and he fell to the ground. The fletching of the arrow was black and ragged and the shaft was bent--an orc had made it. Tubbo went to help the man, not registering that he was already dead, but Quackity grabbed him by the shoulders and yanked him back. _

_ A loud horn blast sounded, a horrible sound that made Tubbo freeze in his tracks. Quackity took that opportunity to pull Tubbo away towards one of the towers. “Let’s go!” Quackity barked, hauling the door open as footsteps thundered along the top of the wall. _

_ “I thought you said that the wall’s never attacked!” Tubbo exclaimed, letting Quackity shove him through the door towards the stairs. The roar of orcs felt as if it drowned out even Tubbo’s own thoughts, so it was a miracle he heard Quackity’s voice over it. _

_ “It’s not supposed to be,” Quackity replied darkly. “We have to get you back to Kharan-el.  _ Now.” _ He slammed the door shut, throwing the stairwell into near-darkness. “They’ve never been this bold.” _

_ “Schlatt’s going to do something about this, right?” Tubbo questioned, hurrying down the stairs as fast as he could. When Quackity didn’t respond, he repeated, “Right?” _

_ “He’ll defend his land,” Quackity answered vaguely, “but I don’t know if Emen-dul’s forces will be enough.” _

Orcs were fair sprinters on the flat land, and Tubbo was forced to slow down as the ground became more uneven. They would catch up to him soon. He’d been trained to fight, but the only weapon he had on him was a knife, while all four of the orcs carried swords. He needed to outsmart them and escape. Or try to reason with them--he’d thought orcs were too stupid to attack the wall, but then they’d attacked and broken through, proving him wrong. Maybe they could be negotiated with.

Then he saw it. His way out. A cloud of smoke billowing from a smokestack, and the distant chug of something Tubbo had only heard about in stories of Deomar--a train. They didn’t have much technology in Emen-dul, as Schlatt had shut down most of their trade relations with other nations. However, Tubbo didn’t have time to dwell on this--he could see the train tracks where the lava fields ended and the rusty train barreling in his direction, and knew he had to catch up to it. It would at least carry him away from the orcs, maybe even to the capital if he was lucky.

The train’s whistle blew as it careened down the tracks, making Tubbo feel as if he’d been deafened. It was so loud and the smell of the acrid smoke made him choke, but it would be better than dying to orcs. The orcs were closing in; Tubbo could pretty much smell them too. Another arrow flew at him and nicked his arm, taking off some of the fabric from his sleeve and leaving a red scratch on his skin.

Tubbo reached the tracks and stopped on the edge, finally able to halt now that the ground was cool rock again. There were still a few moments to wait until the train arrived, and as Tubbo looked back he realized that it wouldn’t get there in time. He would have to fight the orcs.

_ “Fundy!” Quackity howled at the ginger-haired man. Tubbo stuck close to Quackity’s side, unsure of what he should be doing. The sounds of battle rang down from atop the wall, and Tubbo didn’t want to know who was winning. “Explain this!” _

_ “The president knows,” was Fundy’s simple statement. “We told him that the orcs were massing, that if they attacked we would be outnumbered, and he told us that we were fools.” Under the soldier’s arm was a helmet made of black metal, the iron twisted into a fox’ visage. It was a tradition from before Emen-dul had been properly established, when esteemed warriors and leaders wore the pelts of animals. It meant that Fundy was the overseer of the wall. “And now look at us. The wall’s going to break and we’re all going to die!” _

_ Quackity seemed stunned. “He… he knew? And he didn’t do anything about it?” he uttered quietly, eyes wide and dull. Tubbo followed Quackity’s gaze as it moved up to the top of the wall, where the stone appeared to be dripping blood. “You- you need reinforcements and supplies and-” _

_ “We don’t have time for that,” Fundy snapped, lifting his helmet to his head. “We’ll hold the orcs off as long as we can. Quackity, you have to get Tubbo back to the capital.” He drew his sword and the darksteel blade gleamed in the dim starlight; there was no moon that night. “A red sun will rise tomorrow.” _

_ Quackity opened his mouth to say more but was cut off as the door slammed open again. It was a handful of orcs that must have escaped the fighting on the top of the wall, and Tubbo was instantly struck by how  _ disgusting _ they were. One of them let out a roar, but an arrow impaled it through the skull before it could charge. Tubbo glanced over and saw that Quackity had already notched another arrow. He looked directly at Tubbo and said, “Run.” _

_ And so Tubbo did. _

Tubbo grabbed the hilt of his knife and yanked it out of his belt, brandishing it at the orcs in what he thought was a threatening manner. He let out a yell, which was also supposed to be intimidating, but the orcs continued to run at him. The one at the forefront licked its lips, and Tubbo’s stomach churned at the horrible images it conjured in his brain.

The sounds of the train grew louder and Tubbo stood his ground, hoping he would only have to block a few slashes before he could escape onto the train. It looked to be a rather long train, so he would have some time to act. Tubbo gritted his teeth, bent his knees, and prepared for battle.

“Hey!” then came the cry of an unfamiliar voice, and both Tubbo and the orcs looked up. Tubbo had barely a moment to react before a white blur flew down from the top of the train, decapitating the first orc in a flash of silver. “Pick on someone your own size,” growled the stranger, before using the twin swords in his hands to swiftly dispatch of the three other orcs, leaving the ground stained with dark blood.

Tubbo felt rather useless, holding his tiny knife as the warrior sauntered back towards him. He quickly stuck his weapon--if he could even call it a weapon next to the man’s silver blades--back into his belt and stood up straighter. “I’m trying to get to Ige,” Tubbo said matter-of-factly. “Where is this train going?”

“To Ige.” The stranger smiled, adjusting the headband holding his hair out of his face. “My name is Sapnap,” he said, moving over to stand beside Tubbo.

_ “Prince _ Sapnap?” Tubbo questioned. “Cousin of King George?” He gaped at the stranger, wondering why he didn’t recognize him.

Sapnap grimaced. “Yes, that’s right,” he answered. “There’s an open car door coming along now. We can jump on if you’re quick.” He was trying to change the subject, but Tubbo was curious. None of his classes really covered recent history.

“Why is a prince travelling… like this?” Tubbo asked, gesturing to the old, rusty train. “I thought you would have a grand escort on the way to this year’s Gathering.”

“A former prince is a disgraced prince,” Sapnap sighed. “Nobody wants to give me a grand anything these days.” Before Tubbo could ask another question or protest, Sapnap put an arm around his waist and hoisted him up. “Here we go, kid!”

“Wait, I-” Tubbo started, but Sapnap had already jumped. For a moment Tubbo felt as if he were suspended in the air, then both of them crashed into the opposite wall of the train car, falling away from each other, and Tubbo violently slammed into one of the side walls. “Ow!” he yelped, reaching to hold his elbow.

“There’s not exactly an easier way to jump onto a moving train,” Sapnap huffed, reaching up to fix his hair and adjust the collar of his white tunic. He wiped sweat from his brow and looked over at Tubbo. “Anyway, who are you and why are you being chased by orcs?”

“I’m Tubbo,” Tubbo answered. “I was at the wall in Emen-dul when it fell to the orcs. Because it did, it fell, and I ran for my life. I left Quackity, and Fundy, and I don’t know if they’re okay-” He choked, realizing how beaten-down and upset he really felt. Tears burned behind his eyes, threatening to spill over. “I have to- I need to warn the leaders of the kingdoms when they meet at the Gathering. Something has to be done and Schlatt won’t do it!”

Sapnap was quiet for a moment, then said, “I’ll help you.”

“What?”

“I’ll help you,” Sapnap repeated. “My best friends think that I’m a criminal.” He paused. “I’m not, in case you were wondering. Maybe if I bring news of the orcs…”

“And they’re more likely to listen to you than me,” Tubbo pointed out. “I’m just some kid from Emen-dul. You’re a  _ prince.” _

Sapnap winced.  _ “Former _ prince,” he corrected. “But yeah, I suppose.” He slowly got up and went over to the open door of the train car, which he peered out of before slamming shut. “That’s a bit better,” he said to himself.

“I hope Quackity and Fundy are okay,” Tubbo murmured, watching Sapnap closely. “I have to do this. For them. And the rest of the kingdoms. There could be millions of orcs in the unmapped lands.”

Sapnap shivered. “Oh, don’t say that…” he sighed. “But yeah, you’re right. This is a threat that all of the kingdoms need to deal with.” He paused, studying Tubbo with a curious eye. “Hm.”

“What is it?” Tubbo asked, feeling his skin crawl.

“You seem familiar. Your name, mostly. Are you someone I should know, Tubbo?” Sapnap questioned.

Tubbo shook his head too quickly. “No. I’m just a normal kid,” he insisted.

Sapnap didn’t press the subject. “Well, normal or not, you might’ve just handed me the key to my life back.” There was a brief pause. “Let’s do this, Tubbo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're reading this, hi, I appreciate you, thank you for reading my fic, I'm super nervous about starting a new project like this but also pretty excited?? I just finished rewatching all three extended Lord of the Rings movies, so you can see how that influenced me, lol. This fic is probably going to be pretty fun with an emphasis on friendship and working together and all those good mushy feelings, but that doesn't mean I won't hit you with angsts at some point--so if you're looking for full fluff all the time or pure pain, this is not the fic for you. Regardless, I hope y'all enjoy!! The title might change but I thought it would be funny to name it after a Glass Animals song because of, well, you know :)  
> Edit: yeah, I changed it, lol


	2. Exposition! Oh, And Tubbo Has A Bad Dream

Tubbo pushed up the sleeves of his tunic, not used to the heat of Deomar. The scratch on his arm still stung, his skin was stained with ash, and his legs ached from running, but he knew what he felt was nothing compared to what must have been happening on the wall. The orcs could have broken through already, or maybe Fundy’s forces were able to push them back and buy more time… but Tubbo was sure it wouldn’t end well. The orcs had swarmed to the top of the wall like ants, and even with the skill of Emen-dul’s warriors, they would be overwhelmed. Additionally, most of the people that guarded the wall were too young or too old to be stationed anywhere else.

Sapnap was cleaning orc blood off of his swords with a handkerchief, making them shine again. They were odd swords, with long, jagged blades and a copper-coloured metal accenting the sharp edges, and cogs and gears on the hilt that Tubbo was unsure of the purpose of. Deomar was so different from Emen-dul, Tubbo had quickly realized, with their steam-and-coal-driven society and rough attitude. In stories, Tubbo had heard about the dragon ranchers of Deomar, but also rumours that the dragons had all gone extinct. He opened his mouth to ask, but Sapnap spoke first.

“Will this be your first Gathering?” the prince asked. None of the nations could decide what to call the annual Gathering of leaders and people from across the world--the Gathering of Rulers was one name, the Gathering of Leaders another, some called it the Gathering of Sephara--so many simply called it the Gathering. It was held in a different nation each year, in the capital city. “I can’t count how many I’ve been to. When I was still a prince, I used to travel to it every year.” Sapnap’s expression turned melancholic. “Having it be held in Deomar this year is a great honour.”

“Oh- yeah, it’s my first one,” Tubbo answered, scratching the back of his head. “I’ve never left Emen-dul and I was too young to remember the last one that was held there.” The train blew its whistle and Tubbo winced.

“You’ve left Emen-dul now,” Sapnap pointed out. “How old are you--sixteen?”

“Seventeen,” Tubbo corrected. “I’d barely even left Kharan-el before Quackity took me to see the wall.” He slumped into the corner, letting his arms hang limply at his sides. “Um… Sapnap, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but… why did you get, uh, exiled?”

Sapnap sighed. “I was framed for arson. I pled not guilty, but Dream convinced George that it would be better to not risk it and get rid of me. I’ve spent the last few years near the border with Hviros, avoiding the few patrols that go out that way and doing smithing work for ranchers,” he explained.

“Oh,” Tubbo humphed. He paused, thinking. “Wait, if you go back to the capital, then won’t you get arrested?”

“Not if they don’t see me.” With a dramatic flourish, Sapnap drew the hood of his cloak over his head, which did next to nothing to hide his face. “See? Perfect.”

Tubbo snickered. “You look  _ more _ suspicious like that,” he said. “What’s the big deal with going to the Gathering anyway? I want to speak to the leaders, but you could just… be at home, safe.”

“It’s a Gathering and it’s only held in Deomar every seven years. I want to see the festivities,” Sapnap answered weakly. “There’ll be so many people there, nobody will notice me. It’ll be  _ fine.” _

Tubbo hummed and changed the subject. “You… you said that you do smithing for ranchers on the border?” he yawned.

“Yeah, yeah, I do,” Sapnap said. He flipped one of his swords around and slid it across the floor towards Tubbo. “Take a look at that. I made it myself.”

Tubbo picked up the blade and stared at it in awe. It was even nicer up close, and as he reached to feel the flat edge of the blade, he felt a strange heat coming from the metal. His fingers brushed it and he instantly drew his hand back. “Ah!”

“It’s magic,” Sapnap told him. “I have some magic, but I can only put it into tools and weapons and armour, sadly. It used to be really useful, but now I just make ploughshares that don’t break as easily and staffs that can split a wolf’s skull in two.” Everybody on the continent of Sephara had some magic, though it greatly varied in strength and utility. It was part of the reason technology was so diverse, too, because each nation had its own type of magic. Deomar’s magic element was fire, while Emen-dul’s was shadow.

“That’s still useful,” Tubbo replied, shaking out his burned finger. Using his other hand, he tossed the sword back to Sapnap. “There are a lot of wolves on the border with Hviros. Emen-dul has one too.” He paused. “A border with Hviros, I mean. And a wolf problem up there. The president had to send a whole battalion to Tezal last summer to protect the farmers.” Tubbo stifled a yawn with his hand, realizing how tired he was.

Sapnap hummed. “They don’t care if I’m a disgraced prince--they welcome all the help they can get,” he commented. As Tubbo yawned again, Sapnap narrowed his eyes. “You should get some sleep. Didn’t you say you were up all night?”

“Did I?” Tubbo mumbled, stretching his arms above his head. Now that he thought about it, he  _ was _ exhausted. A weight had settled over his body that urged him to take Sapnap’s advice. Metal did not make the most comfortable bed, but Tubbo had often found that he could sleep anywhere. Even on a boxcar being jostled around on the rails.

Sapnap let out a sympathetic sigh, his face softening into an expression one might use with a younger sibling. “It’s still a long ride to Ige. I’ll wake you if anything happens,” Sapnap assured him.

Something told Tubbo to be wary of Sapnap (and it sounded like Schlatt) but Tubbo didn’t trust that voice. Sapnap had saved his life. Besides, the continent of Sephara was at peace. There were no enemies anymore, other than the monsters from beyond the edges of the maps. So he stretched again, and yawned, and curled up in the corner of the car with his head on the ragged bundle of fabric that had been his jacket before the woods and the orcs had torn it to shreds, and closed his eyes.

He drifted in and out of sleep for who knows how long, his breath stuttering with every jolt of the car. As the train turned towards more populated areas of Deomar, the journey became smoother, and Tubbo started to dream.

_ Tubbo could hear Quackity and Fundy’s voices on the wind, atop the towering dark wall before him. They were whispering to each other and Tubbo couldn’t quite make out the words, but he was filled with elation. “Quackity! Fundy!” Tubbo shouted, but a gust blew his cry away into the darkness. “Quackity! Fundy!” he shouted again, looking around for the stairs and finding none. _

_ Steeling himself, Tubbo raced towards the wall of black rock and started to climb. It was easier than he anticipated, and he soon reached the top. Turning to where he could almost sense Quackity and Fundy, Tubbo nearly tripped over his own words in his happiness. “I can’t believe you’re-”  _ alive, _ was what he was going to say, but it died on his lips as the dark figures crumbled into dust. They left no trace, as if they’d never been there in the first place. _

_ Tubbo looked up at the inky black sky, as if silently pleading with whatever gods might reside there for answers about his friends. And, unexpectedly, the two largest stars looked back. Tubbo felt as if he were being pulled towards them as they grew larger and larger, changing from white to a bright amber. They weren’t stars--they were eyes, and for some reason, they felt familiar. _

_ And suddenly Tubbo was standing in a long, dark hall, so wide and so tall that he could barely see the walls and ceiling. He realized why he had recognized the eyes as Schlatt opened his mouth and laughed at him, a mocking, braying laugh that made Tubbo feel ashamed--for what, though, he didn’t know. _

_ “Give up,” came Schlatt’s voice from everywhere at once. “This is pointless. You’re just a kid. Nobody wants you.  _ I _ don’t want you. You’re a disgrace and a disappointment. You can’t change anything.” He leered at Tubbo, tilting his head tauntingly. _

_ “No!” Tubbo shouted. “I can do it! They have to know! I’m the only person that can warn them! I have to do something!” He put his hands over his ears, trying to block out Schlatt as the horned man continued to jeer. “Stop it. Stop it!” he screamed, crumpling to his knees. “I want it to stop!” He didn’t know who he was talking to--it didn’t feel like his shouting was directed at Schlatt anymore. Tubbo squeezed his eyes shut as his chest heaved, trying not to have a breakdown in this unfamiliar room. _

_ Schlatt’s voice cut out abruptly, and light flooded into Tubbo’s eyes. He woke up at home, cold sweat pouring down his brow as he took in the four-poster bed and open window that let the early morning sunlight pour in. As he got up and went to the window, Tubbo realized that yes, this was home… but this wasn’t his room. And, looking down at the people of Kharan-el from inside Mazl-ir, Tubbo thought they looked… happy. He adjusted the cuffs of his pyjamas, not questioning the fact that his pyjamas had cuffs, and was then startled by a knock on his door. _

_ “Mr President?” called Quackity’s voice from the other side of the door. He, too, sounded happier. And he was alive, actually alive this time, and Tubbo felt relief wash over him. _

_ “Schlatt’s not in here,” Tubbo called back, making his way over to the door. _

_ There was a pause. “With all due respect, sir, have you hit your head or something? Schlatt hasn’t been president for nearly three years,” Quackity said. _

_ Tubbo nearly tripped as he opened the door. “Um- right, sorry, I just woke up,” he stammered. “Of course I’m the president. Why wouldn’t I be? I won the… election… as a seventeen-year-old… even though Schlatt won the last eight...” He then added under his breath, “...which is against the law.” _

_ Quackity didn’t seem fazed by this. “Come on, Mr President, we have work to do,” he said. _

_ “But I’m not-” Tubbo looked down at his clothes, surprised to see them replaced by a suit and tie. “Nevermind, then. Yeah, let’s go.” Still reeling from this strange turn of events, Tubbo followed Quackity into the hall and let him lead along the halls Tubbo had walked thousands of times. They went a familiar route that Tubbo knew went from the residence up to the top of Mazl-ir, where the offices of the president and his advisors were situated. _

_ As they went, Tubbo noticed that some of the technology had progressed. Since Schlatt had taken office, it had felt as if Emen-dul had regressed into a primitive era again--fighting with swords, lighting their houses with torches, riding horses around--but it hadn’t always been like this, according to those older than Tubbo. This was more like it, Tubbo thought, taking in the lamps and the pistol on Quackity’s belt--the latter being a magic weapon Tubbo had only ever heard stories about. _

_ When they reached the door of the president’s office, Quackity turned to Tubbo with his hand on the doorknob. “You’ve got quite the task ahead of you,” he said knowingly. Tubbo opened his mouth to question, but Quackity spoke first. “Do not be discouraged if it goes wrong at first. There are more people that will help you, and they will come to you in time.” Quackity winked. “Gotta stay determined, right, Mr President?” _

_ “Uh-” Tubbo was interrupted by an awful rumble that shook the very walls of Mazl-ir. “What was that?!” he squeaked, glancing away from Quackity and then turning back. “Quackity, I-” _

_ Quackity flashed Tubbo a small, sad smile, then shoved him away. Tubbo fell back, expecting to land on the floor, but instead, home vanished into a cloud of ashes, smoke, and unimaginable, burning warmth. _

Tubbo gasped for air, his eyes flying open in unison with another terrifying rumble. Sapnap was leaning over him, looking concerned. Tubbo grasped Sapnap’s tunic with his hand, balling up the fabric until his knuckles were white. “What… what’s happening?” he mumbled quickly, tongue feeling heavy in his mouth, like a wad of cotton. “What’s that sound?”

“We’re passing Mt Vespar,” Sapnap told him. “It hasn’t erupted in a very long time, but it does tend to…” he trailed off as the ground shook and another rumble split the air, “...do that.” Sapnap extended his hand to Tubbo. “Want to come see it?”

“The volcano?” Tubbo questioned, before realizing it was a stupid question.

“No, the other mountain that’s making horrible sounds.” Sapnap rolled his eyes. “Yes, the volcano!”

Tubbo grabbed Sapnap’s hand and let himself be pulled up. He felt shaky and couldn’t quite get his balance, the dream still fresh in his mind. Sapnap left him leaning against the wall of the car and hauled the rusty sliding door open, causing both of them to be instantly buffeted by the wind. Tubbo stumbled but caught himself against some of the boxes. Sapnap cast him a concerned look, but Tubbo waved his gaze away.

“Look at that,” Sapnap breathed as Tubbo came to join him by the door. He pointed out at the volcano, a mountain so tall that the peak was obscured by clouds. Lava trickled down the rocky mountainside like fire-red snakes slithering through ash-coloured grass but, to Tubbo’s surprise, most of the nearby landscape was covered in strange grey trees with orange-and-red leaves, the plants seemingly unaffected by the volcano’s fumes and deadly lava. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

Tubbo didn’t know exactly how he perceived beauty, but the towering mass of rock and fire just reminded him of Mazl-ir, and soon he was shivering despite the heat. Involuntarily, Tubbo took a step back into Sapnap’s shadow, as if the physical presence of the older man in front of him would protect him from the volcano’s glare. “I don’t like it,” he admitted sourly, almost petulantly. “How can people live near that thing?”

Sapnap laughed. “The whole kingdom’s  _ near _ it, Tubbo. In fact, it’s better to live closer, because then when it eventually blows, it’ll kill you first,” he said. “That’ll be the end of Deomar. Luckily, the royal scientists predict that won’t be for another hundred thousand years or so.” Sapnap shrugged. “That’s why people still live here.”

“What if they’re wrong?” Tubbo asked, looking up at Sapnap. “What if-”

He was interrupted by Sapnap slamming the door of the train car shut. “If they’re wrong, then they’re wrong, but they say even if they  _ are _ wrong, it’ll be when this generation is long dead. So I’m not really worried.”

They stood in silence for a few long moments before Tubbo asked, “How much further to the capital?”

Sapnap pulled up the sleeve of his baggy black coat and peered at a strange metal contraption that was bound around his wrist. “An hour and a half, I think,” he answered. “Ige is almost directly south from here.”

Nervous and unsettled, Tubbo sat back down on his side of the car. He wiped sweat from his forehead and wiped his hand against his breeches. He had no idea how Deomar could be next door to Emen-dul and have such a strikingly different temperature. “Do you think this will actually work?” he asked Sapnap quietly.

Sapnap leaned back against the opposite wall and bit his lip. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I think it will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> According to Archive Of Our Own statistics, only a small percentage of people that read my fics actually comment and leave kudos, so if you end up liking this fic, consider commenting and dropping a kudo; it's free, and you can always change your mind. Enjoy the fic. /c  
>   
> 5k words already... whoo!


	3. Tubbo And Sapnap Arrive In Ige & Acquire A New Friend (Against Their Will)

Elves. Fearsome, serene, ethereal, powerful. There were three elf nations in Sephara--Inthilien, the land of light; Azicol, the nation of air; and Hviros, the kingdom of ice. Inthilien was in the far northwest corner of the continent and its land consisted of mostly great amber fields and crystalline lakes, speckled by the occasional hill. Its capital, Leos, was nestled at the bottom of a hill on an expansive plateau, its pristine white parliament atop the hill able to be seen from miles around. Azicol, directly east of Inthilien, was a swampy and easily-flooded country on the ground, and for that reason, all its citizens lived up in the mountains, where their cities stretched across the sky, held up by magic and elvish engineering. The capital, Zeiken, was held up by no mountain, simply the air magic of its people, and was a great port where many sky-ships docked. Hviros, slightly to the south of Azicol, was also a horrible country, one of ice and snow and instant death for all those who dared cross the Outlands unprepared, but inside the nation’s Outer Wall, its people flourished. In the dead centre of Hviros was the Inner Wall, an even stronger fortification that protected the capital, Ederos, and its gorgeous castle.

On the other hand, the human kingdoms, of which there were four. Emen-dul and Deomar to the southeast, and Osseia and Slimeria to the southwest. Osseia was the nation of earth, a very secretive kingdom that nobody knew much about. Slimeria was the only nation not part of the continent--instead, it was off the west coast; a large island of mostly marshland and the land of water.

These seven nations… if they didn’t stand together and push back the orcs, they would all fall, one by one. Tubbo was sure of it. He-

The ringing sound of metal being sharpened stirred Tubbo from his thoughts. Sapnap was humming to himself, some song that Tubbo didn’t recognize, and Tubbo realized that he’d started to nod off again. Sapnap looked up after a few moments, his movements stilling. “Do you want me to stop?” he asked.

“No, it’s fine,” Tubbo insisted quickly. “Just… just thinking.” He drummed his fingers on his knees and sighed. “When are we going to get there?” He must’ve asked that question hundreds of times by this point, but he was anxious. It was frustrating, sitting in a train car while he knew his country was being attacked. He was grateful that Sapnap seemed infinitely more patient than he was.

“We’re almost there,” Sapnap told him. “In fact, we should be getting there any-” Sapnap was interrupted by the screech of the train’s brakes, and Tubbo’s stomach lurched as the train began to slow. “See? I was right.”

Tubbo jumped up, eager to get off the train. He wanted to get a glimpse of the city, too, but Sapnap caught him by the arm before he could go to the door.

“Wait until it’s stopped, then we’ll make a run for it,” Sapnap said.

“A run for it?” Tubbo repeated, questioning. “Why?”

Sapnap regarded him curiously. “This isn’t a passenger train, Tubbo. We’re stowaways. The guards won’t like us much if they see us,  _ especially _ not if they recognize me.”

“Oh.” Tubbo had assumed it was okay--he hadn’t thought about it much when he’d been running for his life from orcs. “Alright. I’ll follow your lead, Sapnap.”

The train slowed, and it finally jolted to a halt. The whistle blew once, a shrill blast that made Tubbo glad this was their stop, and then there was silence.

“Be very quiet,” Sapnap murmured, taking a few steps towards the door. He listened at it for a moment, then swiftly pulled it open and looked out. “It’s clear!” he hissed, then he pulled his hood up and jumped out.

Tubbo raced to the edge, looking down at where Sapnap was waiting for him on the grass. He hesitated, then leapt down, almost landing on top of Sapnap, who moved just in time. Tubbo followed Sapnap over the grass, casting a worried look at the figures he could see moving around at the front of the train, and soon they were out of sight inside the building Tubbo hadn’t had time to study.

“We’re good,” Sapnap told him, and Tubbo halted, his chest heaving. “Nice work. You’ll be a professional stowaway in no time.”

“Are there a lot of those here?” Tubbo asked, not knowing if Sapnap was joking. Then he looked around at the building, the train station, and gasped. “What is this?”

It was a mechanical marvel that didn’t make any sense to him. There were trains everywhere, different from the one he and Sapnap had arrived on--these had people disembarking from their carriages--and the rails seemed to go every which way in a fashion that Tubbo didn’t think would work, but clearly it did. The ceiling was high above them and made of huge glass panels, most of which were cracked open to let the smoke out. That was the worst part, Tubbo found--it smelled  _ so bad _ and he could barely stand there without attempting to cough his lungs out. It was also very loud. But there was also a certain charm to it, and the decor was definitely Deomarian.

“Welcome to the Ige Grand Station,” Sapnap said. “And yeah, it’s illegal, but trains are the fastest way to get around--why pay if you don’t have to?” He glanced around. “Let’s join a crowd and disappear. Grab my arm and don’t let go, Tubbo.”

Tubbo latched onto Sapnap’s forearm and let the ex-prince lead him into a swarm of people. He wondered why Sapnap wasn’t nervous with all these eyes around--and then he realized, as the crowd swelled around them, that it would be impossible to pick out a single person in this chaos. He could barely hear himself think underneath the din of Deomar’s people calling to each other and the sounds of the trains, and people whipped by so fast that he couldn’t remember their faces if he tried.

They stepped out onto the street and Tubbo’s head cleared a bit, but there were still so many new sights, sounds, and smells that he felt overwhelmed. He clung tight to Sapnap’s arm and hurried to keep up, trusting that Sapnap knew the way. “Where are we going?” he asked curiously as he looked at a sign advertising fresh bread and caught a whiff of it on the air.

“Up High Street to the palace,” Sapnap answered. “The leaders of the nations will meet inside the palace and the rest of the festivities will happen outside. The whole street gets closed down--it’s a big deal.”

“There are so many people here…” Tubbo commented, looking around in awe. “Have the world leaders arrived yet?” He felt anxiety grip the back of his neck like a cold hand. They didn’t have much time--he’d have to throw himself in whether he was prepared to talk or not.

“Don’t think so,” Sapnap replied. “They usually arrive together and George greets them at the doors.” He cracked a smile, as if the ex-prince were starting to get excited. “C’mon, hurry up. I want to show you the palace!” Sapnap yanked Tubbo forward and Tubbo nearly tripped, but quickly went along with Sapnap after he regained his footing.

They rounded a corner on the high street and then it was there, a massive palace of red brick and stone with steep roofs, angular towers, and ornate (almost gaudy, Tubbo thought) decoration. The centrepiece was a great clock tower, with massive hands that pointed to numbers to indicate the time. Tubbo had never seen anything like it. The palace sat on the crest of a hill, which was situated in the centre of the city--half the city below, half the city on the other side. The High Street appeared to curl around and up the hill to end at the palace’s doors, and Tubbo was dismayed by how far they still had to walk. It seemed an unnecessarily long trek and his legs had started aching again, soreness left over from his sprint across the lava fields.

“There it is,” Sapnap said, pointing, as if Tubbo couldn’t see the massive palace. “I hate that place, but I still have to admit that it’s pretty cool-looking.”

“Why do you hate it?” Tubbo questioned, cocking his head as he looked over at Sapnap. They kept walking--it was impossible to stop with the crowded street. 

Sapnap sighed. “I don’t like being exiled, but to be honest? I hated being a prince.” He paused, ducking his head to keep his face shaded. “My valet, H, was the only one that made it bearable.”

“Valet?” Tubbo didn’t recognize the term.

Sapnap paused. “Uh… manservant, I guess, though we don’t use that word and I don’t like it anyway.” He looked away, seeming a bit distant.

“What about your cousin?” Tubbo asked, and instantly he knew it was the wrong thing to say at the expression on Sapnap’s face.

Sapnap snorted. “George is just a royal puppet. It’s Dream pulling all the strings,” he said. “He’s, uh, he’s George’s bodyguard and has some of the most powerful magic in all of Deomar. I’m fairly sure he’s got George under a spell.” Sapnap hesitated. “That’s… that’s why I got exiled, actually--at least, I’m pretty sure. I poked my nose into Dream’s business and got framed for arson far too quickly for it to be coincidence.” He shook his head. “I worry about him. George, I mean.”

Tubbo halted in his tracks and looked at Sapnap. “You said King George would help us,” he said, “and now you’re telling me that there’s actually some mage I need to negotiate with?”

“Ye-es,” Sapnap drawled, looking awkward. “It should be fine. If the other leaders agree, Dream will have to as well. Don’t worry about it, Tubbo.” Someone bumped into Tubbo’s shoulder and Sapnap slung his arm around Tubbo’s neck. “Let’s keep moving, okay?” He paused. “What exactly is your plan, again?”

“Um…” Tubbo thought quickly. “Use magic to slip past the guards and interrupt the meeting?” He could make himself hard to see for a minute or two--it should be enough.

“I like your moxie,” Sapnap commented. “Need a distraction?”

“That would be great,” Tubbo replied. After a moment, he asked, “What if you get caught?”

Sapnap winked. “I won’t get caught,” he promised. “You’ve got your tricks, I’ve got mine.” They’d just about reached the palace at this point. There was a large paved circle with a fountain in the centre in front of the palace, for carriages to drop off and pick up their quarries, and the people closest to the edge were being ushered back by guards. “The leaders must be on their way,” Sapnap said. “You’ve heard of them all, right?”

“‘Course I have!” Tubbo exclaimed. “Learned them in school.” He hesitated. “You’re not going to quiz me, right?”

Sapnap laughed. “No, no, even I can’t remember them all sometimes. Sometimes I feel like they’ve all changed since I got exiled.”

Tubbo snorted in amusement. “Yeah,” he agreed. They stood in silence for a few long moments. “So-”

Just as Tubbo attempted to speak again, a trumpet blew from the direction of the palace, but Tubbo couldn’t see the trumpeter from where he was standing--he was just a shade too short to see over the nearby people. He could see, however, when the palace doors were thrown open and Sapnap pulled him to the front of the crowd. “Sapnap!” Tubbo hissed, tugging on the ex-prince’s arm. “I thought you didn’t want to get seen?”

Sapnap hesitated, looking down at him for a moment as if he’d forgotten that he was exiled. “Right. Yes, of course,” he replied, stepping back and letting others fill the spot. “Can you… can you see okay?”

“I’m fine,” Tubbo insisted. With the way the crowd had shifted, he had a clear view of the road and the front of the palace. “Is that King George?” he said, swiftly changing the subject as a tall, slender man draped in baggy red-and-orange robes with a crown of coppery metal around his head stepped out into the light. He was distracted by a moment by the metal--he  _ thought _ it was copper, but it looked different somehow. “What kind of metal is that?”

“Yeah, that’s him,” Sapnap said. “And it’s firon.”

“Firon?” Tubbo repeated. “I’ve never heard of it.”

“It’s iron imbued with fire magic--like your darksteel,” Sapnap explained. Then he added, “That’s Dream there,” and nodded to a figure standing a step behind King George.

Dream was an even taller and slenderer man, cloaked in layers of dark fabric that caused him to recede into the shadows. A sword was slung across his back and his face was shrouded in a hood. Beneath the hood, Tubbo could see a blank white mask, and when Dream lifted his head, the mask’s eye holes burned a bright, magically enhanced green. Dream wasn’t even looking in Tubbo’s direction and he still shuddered under the force of Dream’s gaze.

“Ack!” Sapnap squeaked, ducking his head. “Did he see me?”

Tubbo grabbed Sapnap’s arm. “He hasn’t looked over here,” he reassured the older man. “How did you  _ live _ with that guy?” Maybe it was because Sapnap had already told him about Dream’s influence over King George, but Dream had such a threatening, forceful presence that made George feel almost invaluable in comparison. As Sapnap had said, George was just the puppet… Dream was the real king.

“He wasn’t always like this,” Sapnap murmured. “He became obsessed with spirits a few years ago--the otherworldly kind, not the drink. My theory is that he’s either made a deal with or been possessed by one.”

“Spirits,” Tubbo repeated. “Like… ghosts?”

“Yes and no, from what I’ve heard,” Sapnap said. “Spirits include ghosts but aren’t always ghosts. They’re mostly creatures from beyond our plane of existence, and they’ve got powers we don’t naturally have or abilities much stronger than ours.” He sighed. “Dream wasn’t born with such strong magic. It’s… it’s definitely something else’s powers.”

“Oh.” Tubbo hadn’t realized how much there was to the story. “There’s nothing you can do?”

Sapnap shook his head. “I’d need help. If I got lucky I might be able to kill him… but I want to save him, Tubbo. The three of us used to be friends. The Dream Team, they called us, when we were kids.” He looked wistful as he tilted his head skywards. “It’s too late now to change things.”

“But…” Tubbo wanted to offer his help, but he didn’t know how much use it would be. Sapnap wanted to help him, so he wanted to return the favour, but he was just one person. One  _ kid. _ “Okay.” Tubbo then realized that George had been making a speech this whole time, but neither he nor Sapnap had been listening.

He tuned into George’s speech just as the king finished with something along the lines of, “...greet our guests with customary Deomar hospitality,” and the crowd erupted into cheering. Then Tubbo heard over the din of the gathered folk a great monstrous roar that sent fear shooting down his spine, but when he looked in the direction of the sound, he realized that the first of the other six leaders was arriving.

The source of the sound was a drake--a sort of large armoured lizard that resembled a dragon but was much lower to the ground than any dragon depiction Tubbo had ever seen and lacked wings. It wasn’t just covered in scales for protection, though--somebody had strapped iron armour onto it as well, and a saddle in the middle of the back where the rider would be highest up. The drake was flanked by a few guards on horses, with two that looked special riding just ahead of the drake and carrying banners bearing the symbol of Osseia.

Astride the drake was the beastlord of Osseia, Jimmy, clad in animal furs and multiple complex layers of leather armour and simplistic yet colourful jewellery. He was beaming at the crowd and threw gold coins into the mob as he passed, which Tubbo didn’t know how to feel about. When he drew closer, Tubbo could see that he had scars on his face that looked as if they’d been made with claws. He had neat brown hair, a moustache, and traces of hair along his chin.

Osseia was a secretive nation--they were the wielders of earth magic, that was about all Tubbo could remember. Neither Jimmy nor his escort betrayed anything about their people, except perhaps that they were hunters through the animal pelts, but Tubbo knew that could easily be a stylistic choice.

After the Osseians came a much smaller party--three men with no guards riding horses that looked to be made of… slime? As if someone had attempted to create horses out of water magic but accidentally jellified them. These were the priests of Slimeria, Tubbo realized, though he could’ve sworn there were four, not three.

The three priests rode shoulder-to-shoulder, all wearing their own colours. The middle one, a young man with curly brown hair, was dressed in red and black. The one on his left had black hair, sunglasses, and wore dark blue and the one on his right had spiky brown hair and was dressed in light blue. Tubbo knew all their names but wasn’t sure which one was which. 

“Who are they?” Tubbo whispered to Sapnap, watching as they rode by much faster than Jimmy had, as if they didn’t have time for the crowd.

“Grizzly’s the one in red,” Sapnap replied. “Bizly’s in dark blue, Condi’s in light blue. I… I was sure there was another one, but I must have been mistaken.” He narrowed his eyes, as if he could will a fourth priest into existence. “No, there definitely was. Charlie. I wonder why he’s not here…” Sapnap trailed off, looking down the lane. “Look, here comes your president.”

A bolt of fear shot down Tubbo’s spine. He hid beneath Sapnap’s cloak, which made Sapnap look at him quizzically, but the ex-prince didn’t question it. He didn’t want Schlatt’s amber eyes to find him in the crowd.

Schlatt was riding a warg, a massive black wolf covered in scars and thick fur, with two guards flanking him and the rest of his party hanging behind. Tubbo instantly recognized them both. The taller of the two guards was Connor, Schlatt’s body man. The other was Ty, only recently promoted from squire straight to member of the president’s personal guard, which Tubbo thought had been the wrong move, but protesting against Schlatt’s actions never got him anywhere.

Tubbo felt Schlatt’s gaze sweep over his head, but it didn’t settle on him, and he let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. The warg snarled as Schlatt passed, and Tubbo was reminded how much he hated wargs.

“Here come the elves,” Sapnap said, and Tubbo quickly untangled himself from Sapnap’s cloak to get a better look. He’d never seen an elf before outside of illustrations, so he was itching to get a glimpse.

The first of the elven nations represented was Inthilien, with the king and queen, Joel and Lizzie, astride startling white unicorns and dressed in gorgeous outfits styled after the sun and moon. They looked just like humans on the surface, except their ears were pointed. Truthfully, there weren’t many differences between humans and elves--the ears were one, elvish blood being blue instead of red was a second, and the third that Tubbo could come up with was their increased stamina and agility. 

Inthilien had the largest group so far, though Tubbo knew the others had brought many more that had dispersed into the crowd--a few other royals, and then at least twelve guards. One of the princes, a blond man, struck Tubbo because he looked as if he utterly hated being there--a stark contrast to his happier kinsfolk.

Next came Queen Cara of Azicol, a woman with light brown hair dressed in a very complicated red-and-gold pirate getup. She was accompanied by what felt like a whole crew of Azicoli pirates, all in the same colours. Cara was riding a pale griffin and the rest of her company rode pegasi.

And finally, the steward of Hviros rode by, Taylor “Hank” Antvenom, the only one of the leaders that was riding just a normal horse. His guards were quite a few paces behind him and he was wearing a dark cloak that covered his clothes completely. The crowd’s reaction to the steward was much quieter than to the others--Hank wasn’t the true king of Hviros and everybody knew it.

The line of Hvirosan kings had died out a thousand years earlier in a horrible massacre, and yet Hviros still held onto hope that one day the kings would be reestablished. Hank was the latest in a line of stewards that watched over Hviros in the stead of a king, which made him relatively unpopular among the citizens of Sephara, but he didn’t seem to mind.

King George was greeting the leaders of the nations at the door of the palace, but again, Tubbo wasn’t really listening. “We need to get over there,” he said to Sapnap. “To the palace.”

Sapnap nodded sharply. “Let’s go,” he responded. “I know the way from here.” He started to push through the crowd with urgency, and the crowd was happy to let the two of them pass, as they were all cramming for a spot at the front. Tubbo followed in Sapnap’s wake, becoming increasingly more worried as they moved away. He knew this was an awful plan and was guaranteed to go badly, but he had to try.

As Sapnap turned onto a backroad, he ran straight into a young man with dirty blond hair, glasses, and green travelling clothes. Sapnap remained standing, but the other man was not so lucky and fell to the ground. Sapnap quickly apologized and went to help the man up, but he leapt to his feet before Sapnap could.

“You!” the man exclaimed. “I know what you two are up to!” He shook his finger accusingly in their direction, and Tubbo froze. “Charlie, at your service,” he said, bowing dramatically. “I want to help you!”

“How do you know what we’re doing?” Sapnap asked, raising an eyebrow. His expression was threatening. “Have you been following us?”

“No, no!” Charlie insisted, waving his hands wildly. “No, no, no, of course not, of course not. It doesn’t matter how I know, I’m offering my help! My magic! I’m a former priest of the Great Slime, you know, I can be  _ very _ useful.” He winked.

“I  _ knew _ there was a fourth!” Sapnap exclaimed. “Why did you get kicked out?” He wrinkled his nose, looking the dirty figure of Charlie up and down.

“Radical idealism,” Charlie answered vaguely. “They didn’t like my suggestions.” He folded his arms over his chest. “Now, either you let me into this… thing you’re doing or I’ll turn you in!”

“Do you actually know what we’re doing or…” Sapnap asked, trailing off.

“Okay, my informant was pretty vague, to be honest,” Charlie admitted. “But I think it involves antagonizing people, specifically the other priests, and therefore I’m in.”

Sapnap looked at Tubbo. “Should we trust him?” he asked rather loudly.

Tubbo glanced at Charlie, then back at Sapnap. “We need all the help we can get,” Tubbo said. He hesitated, looking at the roughed-up priest and momentarily worrying about the wild look in his eyes, but he knew he should give Charlie a chance. If the kingdoms were to unite against this threat, it would do no good to turn away an eager soul. “You can help us.”

“Yes!” Charlie exclaimed. “So, where are we headed?” He put his hands on his hips and grinned.

“The palace,” Tubbo directed. “I need to get inside and take a message to all the leaders. Sapnap was going to distract the guards, so maybe you could-”

“I can help Sapnap!” Charlie slung his arm around Sapnap’s shoulders and the ex-prince grimaced. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t get caught or hurt. You can trust me.”

_ Can I? _ Tubbo thought, digging his fingers into his arm. He had a bad feeling about this--not just Charlie, all of this.

“We’ve got no time to lose,” Sapnap said, disentangling himself from Charlie’s gangly arms and pushing him away with a bit more force than necessary. “Let’s go. And that includes you,” he nodded to Charlie, then added under his breath, “unfortunately.”

“To the palace!” Charlie exclaimed, pointing dramatically in that direction.

“Quiet!” Sapnap hissed.

“To the palace!” Charlie whispered forcefully, and then the three raced off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This entire chapter is almost as long as the first and second chapters combined. Oops!  
> Anyway, four of our seven protagonists have now been introduced! (Sort of, the fourth wasn't actually introduced, just pointed out a bit)  
> The rest will all appear in either the next chapter or chapter five :D


End file.
